When Growth is on Your Mind

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Last month, I celebrated 18 years of being in business.

For the next five years after starting my business, I struggled.

I absolutely had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know how to promote myself or my work, and I settled for anything my clients would pay me. To say I’ve come a long way since that time is an understatement.

So today, in honor of that crazy time in my life, and in support of anyone going through that right now, here are five articles on how to find growth for your business.

1. Knowing when to expand your business.

Here’s a great article by the lovely and talented Gary Vaynerchuk. His message? Having a successful foundation allows you to do more. Staying focused helps to create the foundation for bigger success down the road.

2. Four key strategies for growing and marketing your business.

John Sculley was the president of Pepsi, the CEO of Apple, and on the founding team of MetroPCS. In this article, he shares four strategies for growing your business idea and marketing your way to success.

3. If you aren’t prepared for growth it can destroy your business.

You may find yourself struggling to make ends meet only to one day learn that a celebrity or influencer has recommended your product leading to an influx of orders. This is the kind of super growth that many of us dream of having but are also unprepared when it happens. This article from Forbes goes into the five ways to prepare your business for high growth.

4. How to disrupt that well-established industry. 

This article from Brand Quarterly outlines eight tips for building a disruptive startup. And while it may seem that disruptive start-ups are usually only focused on tech or new apps, this article illustrates that the eight tips outlined can apply to any business just getting off the ground.

5. Add value for your customer and improve your business. 

Mark Hunter’s article for Salesforce.com outlines six critical ways to show value to your customer. The first sentence in this article says it all, “Salespeople often want to talk to me about pricing. I am always quick to tell them that what they first need to focus on is value in the eyes of the customer.”

If you have a business and are struggling with growth, ask yourself where you may be able to focus on one of the areas outlined here — building a foundation, smart marketing decisions, preparing for growth, positioning your business as a disruptor, or creating value in the eyes of your customers. Sometimes a shift in one area can help you out of a stalled situation.

 

Christina Holloway is an executive coach and business coach. She helps executives and entrepreneurs grow their companies faster, create results-driven teams, and increase profitability. She has been featured in ForbesThe Huffington PostAddicted2Success and Fast Company. If you’re interested in working with Christina, take a look at her strategy sessions and contact her to get started.

Christina Holloway